VII. Foreword
5.1 Bus Priority Scheme of Fv.44
Fv.4426runs between Stavanger and Flekkefjord through Sandnes and Jæren parallel to the E3927, but by the coastline. The road is part of the North Sea road (Nordsjøveg). The North Sea road is consisting of state road 47 and county road 44 and going between Haugesund and Kristiansand. Before 1 January 2010, the road portion of state road 44, along with the present state road 44.
Fv.44 in the area under study is the main transport corridor in the region and it connects the largest two cities in the region:
Stavanger and Sandnes. This advance position has been supported by bus lanes in both directions between Stavanger centrum and Mariero/Gausel with further implementation in the future. The FDP-R stated the plans for the bus lanes and bus priority scheme as it follows:
“5.7.1 Public Transport
5.7.1.1 In residential zones in urban areas the priority in the period 2010 to 2020 shall be to establish bus lanes between Stavanger, Sandnes and Sola centers.”(Regionalplanseksjonen 2012)
“5.7.1.2 From residential zones in urban areas in the period 2020-2030 would public transport maneuverability ensured through the use of bus lanes or bus priority scheme to Stavanger and Sandnes and Forus.”(Regionalplanseksjonen 2012) The street has been divided by Norwegian Road Authority, Stavanger office into sections in following with implementing bus priority scheme. Sections are Hillevågtorget, Mariero, Diagonalen-Gausel, Gausel –Hans og Gretestein and Hans og Gretestein–
Stokkaveien. The Norwegian Road authority website shows facts about the plans of the whole street as it follows:
The length of these sections in total is 6 950 m and it distinguished as it follows in table:5.0.1
26 The shortcut Fv. means a county road 27 Europe high way
95 Table 5.0.1 Length of Sections of Fv.44 bus lanes
Section Length in meters
Hillevågtorget (Hillevågveien28+Sjøhagen29) 800 + 400
Mariero 30 650
Table 5.0.2 Total cost for each section
Section Total Cost in million NOK
Hillevågtorget (Hillevågveien+Sjøhagen) 185+179
Mariero 60
Diagonalen-Gausel No estimation until now
Gausel–Hans-Gretestein No estimation until now
Hans og Gretestein–Stokkaveien 175
The next page Table 5.0.3 is showing the information of goals, length of sections, fund source, project package, total costs, national transport plan relation to the project, start time, end time, current phase and appropriations. The source of the information is the website of the Norwegian road authority.
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Table 5.0.3 the information of goals, length of sections, fund source, project package, total costs, national transport plan relation to the project, start time, end time, current phase and appropriations of sections of Fv.44
Fv.44 Sections
HILLEVÅG-VAULEN, KOLLEKTIVFELT MARIERO, BUS LANES STOKKAVEIEN–HANS
& GRETESTIEN, BUS
Fund Source Road Toll Road Toll Road Toll, State,
County
2010-2019 Not mentioned Not mentioned No information were
provided Not mentioned
Start 2015 2015 May 2010 October 2011 Spring 2012 Fall 2013
End 2018 2018 November 2011 September 2013 September 2013 Spring 2015
Current Phase
(09.06.2013) Plan phase Plan phase Open for use On progress On progress Offer phase
Appropriations Not mentioned No information were
provided No information were
provided No information were
provided Not mentioned No information were provided
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Bus priority scheme is the right of preferential treatment on the shared road between different travel modes for buses to give them priority over cars. This covers the physical measures in the street only. There are mainly two reasons to implement such a priority: better future opportunities of land use development along the public transport corridor and more efficient public transport operating and service. At the other hand there are disadvantages of the bus lanes such as: costs (investment and maintenance) and Impacts on the urban environment, i.e. tree removal.
The shorter trip time might attract more passengers to the buses, therefor the bus priority scheme’s missions to achieve are:
An attractive travel time in compete with private travel modes
The lowest waiting time in the peak hours
Better connection travels
Norwegian Road Authority, Stavanger office has studied a proposal of bus priority scheme at Fv.44 consists of 2 main alternatives. Both alternatives are based on separated lanes for buses, bikes and cars. The separation has been in two forms:
separation of lane with and without segregations as it follows:
“The criteria are essentially a public transport measure, while making a general improvement of the road section for pedestrians and cyclists. It is also planned restructuring of some intersections, closure of access roads, demolition of buildings and a functional/visual upgrade from road to street.”(Authority 2010) It considered two cross sections:
Alternative 1
The alternative 1 is divided into two phases (1A and 1B) the phase 1A is the current situation of bus priority scheme from Stavanger centrum to Hillevågtorget. The other alternative would modify the current street structure.
Alternative 1A, as it shows in figure 5.0.1 below, is the current situation of the street with the bus priority scheme. Road structure consists of a symmetrical cross section with sidewalks (3.5 m including 1 m of trees raw), bicycle lanes (1.5 m), bus lanes (3.0 m), lane (3.25 m) and central reservation (2.5 m ).
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Figure 5.0.1 Alternative 1A cross section
Alternative 1B, as it shows in figure 5.0.2 below, will be implemented at the arrival of LRT, where the lane would be shared between buses and LRT. Public transport lane will be moved to central reservation with no segregation from traffic, but still the middle island will remain to segregate the direction of the traffic in along the road.
Figure 5.0.2 Alternative 1B cross section
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Alternative 2
Road structure consists of a symmetrical cross section with sidewalks (2.5 m), cycle lanes (1.5 m), traffic lane (3.5 m), trees (2.0 m) and bus lanes (3.25 m). When a future LRT comes, it will use public transport lane as they are planned in this plan.”
Figure 5.0.3 Alternative 2 cross section shows the four different zones of mobility. Figure 5.0.4 Alternative 2 cross section shows the boarding process
Both of the alternatives shared some measures as: main structure of the alternatives is separated lanes for each transport modes, symmetrical structure and tree raw as barriers. The road structure is divided into lanes for public transport, bikes, pedestrian and other traffics.
Alternative 1 (A and B):
Alternative one as it shows in the figures 5.0.1&5.0.2 is divided into two stages: buses, and buses/LRT. The current structure of the road is relevant for alternative 1A but the structure of Fv.44 will be modified in the arrival time of LRT. The cross section is a side single track of public transport lane for each direction, tree raw as a barrier to appear in the middle of the road. The function of the tree raw is to separating the traffic directions, other trees to be by the sides on the pedestrian sidewalk to separate pedestrians from the traffic. This cross section layout will be reformed to become a middle side public transport lanes separated in between according to directions with stops in the middle island. There will be no physical segregation along the road between the travel modes in the same direction.
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Alternative 2:
Figures 5.0.3 & 5.0.4 show that alternative 2 is one phase solution both for buses and LRT. The structure of the street is to be modified in the start of the implementation. The structure is a double middle track of public transport lane. The lane is separated from other transport modes lanes by a continuous segregation, trees as a barrier and noise reducing screen to appear by the sides of the bus lanes. No other trees to be implemented by the sides on the pedestrian sidewalk. Bikes and private transport motorized modes share the rest of the street.
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